Recruiting like this in Ann Arbor is like winning a championship off the field. With Jackson Ford off the board to Penn State, it made the decision for Carter Meadows crystal clear. He will be joining Michigan's roster to tussle with Andrew Babalola, Ty Haywood, and Malakai Lee in practice so that all involved become as sharp as a tack for Saturdays. Here are some thoughts on this immense commitment, which Meadows announced on Sunday.
BREAKING: Five-Star EDGE Carter Meadows has Committed to Michigan, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 29, 2025
The 6’6 235 EDGE chose the Wolverines over Ohio State, Penn State, & South Carolina
“I thank God for guiding me through it all. I’M HOME. Go Blue!!〽️〽️”https://t.co/vP9hIvX9sb pic.twitter.com/TaK4mGP9J6
Meadows can compete for a starting job as soon as he puts the pads on
It's not as automatic as say Bryce Underwood, but with Derrick Moore and TJ Guy moving on to the NFL, the door is wide open for Meadows to start in 2026. The combination of him and Nate Marshall coming off the edge is going to be problematic for opposing tackles trying to block the both of them, not to mention the potential of Titan Davis anchoring the middle. Meadows will be compared to Aidan Hutchinson's lurking presence on the outside.
Lou Esposito is molding himself into one of the top all-around positional coaches in the country
Ever since Lou Esposito came to Michigan football, he has been a smashing success. He coached Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant to control the line of scrimmage against the national champions. He also helped Michigan regain the commitment of Nate Marshall from Auburn. He and his recruits have benefited the most from Michigan's NIL packages thus far.
Titan Davis and Meadows make Michigan's defensive line class alone, top 10 worthy. Expect Meadows to get that fifth star from the composite rankings, while McHale Blade, Alister Vallejo, and Tariq Boney should all get a bump in the rankings, too, eventually.
Michigan football is now on the verge of a top-five class with its defensive centerpiece in place
Now that Meadows has committed, he and the coaches can go all in on luring Calvin Russell and Savion Hiter to make this one of Michigan's most acclaimed classes ever. Landing players of this magnitude is the new standard that this staff is setting. Keeping them happy in Ann Arbor with the recent winning and NIL money will be easier with all three in tow.